NB "Barden" Boatmans Cabin

Finding some time between bookings to sort out our back cabin has become a priority. The first officer has threatened a mutiny if we spend another night on our rather unremarkable ikea sofa bed! (just to clarify from the point of view of any subsequent litigation we have had more comfortable nights sleep camping in the Australian outback with the tent accidentally pitched on a nest of giant killer ants!)

Thats it... Just a matter of remembering where i was up to. Cutting out the apertures for the table cupboard.

Table cupboards should be good and chunky in my opinion. 3/4" floorboards make a good table surface when glued and screwed onto the panel cut out of the bulkhead.

Lots of rummaging round in piles of offcuts and kindling to make loads of odd shaped doors and twiddly bits..... sometimes wonder why i bother... IT WILL ALL BE WORTH IT IN THE END! (mutinous behaviour amongst the crew reaching its peak... once the woodwork is finished it will still take a fornight to paint!)

First coat of primer takes eight hours. Once sanded down i can look forward to doing it all again twice in undercoat before scumbling and varnishing. Can hear murmurings and cutlasses being rattled up the front of the boat!!

I've gone for a very pale undercoat to upset the traditionalists. Reckon it will look great with a thin light oak scumble oil. All grey undercoated areas will be painted either green or blue and the beading red but i suspect that won't happen until late 2015 when the first officer incites the next rebellion!

Scumbled and varnished the cabin is cosy yet light even with the doors closed.

Good enough to move into and pacify the crew for the moment. Five inch high density foam in three sections makes a 6'2" x 4'6" bed when the cupboard is folded down. 
Other notable features about this cabin that are absolutely not traditional are:
-It is 9 feet long leaving room for a large bed as well as a small stove and table cupboard.
-It is not damp or mouldy
-There are no bed bugs
-There is electric light
-We don't have to live off tinned pineapple

(Last comments a small tribute to an anonymous boat captain who worked a boat in the late 60's)

NB "Jemima"

Dead space on a boat.... Nightmare! Jemima's owner could only use these bunk beds in the rear cabin as a dumping ground. 

What was required was a home office that could be used as an occasional bedroom whilst preserving some useful storage space.

Using the full width of the forward bulkhead and creating an angled passageway i made a three seat dinette to maximize storage yet facilitate access through the boat.

 
A spacious desk, large bed (when the table is put down), custom shelves and under bench storage breathe new life into this little cabin.

The pale white wood will benefit from a couple of coats of light oak wax oil, bringing it to the same shade as the existing fit out. Using this material is massively cheaper than building in oak, and the customer will apply the wood finish to keep the cost down even further.
  A good value and extremely useful alteration to a liveaboard boat!
 

Rocking Horse Works

Rocking Horse Works

Quite often narrowboat maintenance work winds down in the run up to christmas. For a decade now I have been involved with the Rocking Horse Works who specialize in the manufacture of new, and restoration of antique rocking horses. 

Spending a month or so making rocking horses makes a pleasant change from working on boats whilst employing many of the same skills. From wood carving to painting, varnishing, metal work and leather work there is no danger of getting bored in the rocking horse game! 

As you can see most of the effort is concentrated on work and not in maintaining ones own appearance! Our humble industrial unit in shropshire takes on the atmosphere of a true Father Christmas's workshop at this time of year. We still find time in our bustling schedule to scoff the odd mince pie though!